For addressing the land based sources of Marine pollution, in relation to development of a Regional Strategic Action Plan for the countries along the Bay of Bengal, SACEP developed a project concept titled ‘Controlling Nutrient Loading and Eutrophication of Coastal Waters of the South Asian Seas Region’ with the inputs from UNEP-GPNM (Global Partnership on Nutrient Management). The main objective of the project is to reduce and control of nutrient loading into the coastal waters of the South Asian Seas Region through development of a Regional Action Plan and Policy Forum/Framework.
The activities included ;
FAO funded the project and SACEP Secretariat administered the project activities, while national level activities were carried out by the respective National Focal Points of the South Asian Seas Programme. This activity was presented and approved at the 5-IMM of SASP held in Islamabad, Pakistan in December 2013.
A draft report on Scoping Study of Nutrient Pollution on the Coastal and Marine Systems of South Asia was prepared by a group of consultants (Indian Nitrogen Group). This report was validated during the two day regional workshop held from 20 to 21 May 2014 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The draft report was updated with comments received during and after the workshop and then yet again circulated among the member countries for any concerns. The workshop report and the updated scoping study report then were submitted to BOBP-IGO/FAO and were further revised with the inputs received from them.
The report is now finalized and published in the website of FAO. Similarly, its findings will be presented at the 6-IMM-SASP. SACEP is working closely with BoBLME – Phase 2 to incorporate some of the actions identified in this report.
